Canned (Bottled) Salsa

Submitted by Jenny Sanders

"Most recipes for canning salsa call for vinegar, which I do not like at all. It makes the salsa taste more like a pickle and less like a fresh salsa. I developed this recipe to conform to the requirements of safe canning practices while still tasting as much like fresh salsa as possible. Salting and straining the tomatoes prevents the salsa from being too "soupy" without requiring a long cooking time to reduce the liquid. You should buy 10 limes; you probably won't need them all but they do vary in juiciness quite a bit. NOTE: Jalapenos vary wildly in strength - the ones I get are fairly mild. If yours are very hot, or if you are looking for a milder salsa, you should feel free to reduce them accordingly."

 

• Ready In: 5hrs
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 12 500ml jars

ingredients

• 7568.0 ml plum tomatoes
• pickling salt
• 6 large onions
• 2-3 head garlic
• 453.59 g jalapeno pepper
• 6 large mild bell peppers
• 591.47 ml minced cilantro
• 59.14 ml ground cumin
• 155.92 g can tomato paste
• 44.37 ml lime juice (Per 500 ml jar)

directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Blanch the tomatoes by dropping them into the boiling water for one minute. You will need to do them in batches.
3. Transfer them to a large bowl or sink full of cold water.
4. Fish them out and peel them.
5. Chop them coarsely and sprinkle with pickling salt in layers as you go - I try to use about 4 tablespoons.
6. Put them in a strainer and set in a cool place (but NOT the fridge!) to drain for several hours.
7. When you are ready to procede, put all the canning jars in a large canner full of water to cover by one inch, and bring to a boil.
8. Boil for 10 minutes.
9. If your water is very hard, add a shot of vinegar to the water before it boils (to prevent lime build-up on bottles).
10. Meanwhile, peel and chop the onions.
11. Peel and deseed the peppers, and chop them.
12. Peel and mince the garlic.
13. Mix the tomato paste with cupful of the tomatoes until it is lump-free.
14. Mix all the ingredients except the lime juice in a large kettle or pot.
15. Bring the salsa to a boil.
16. Lift the sterilized jars from the boiling water bath and empty them.
17. (Most should be emptied into the sink, so the boiling water bath doesn't overflow when they go back in).
18. Add 3 tbsps lime juice to each jar.
19. Pack the salsa into the jars.
20. Wipe rims, and seal according to manufacturer's instructions.
21. (Generally, boil lids and rings for 5 minutes).
22. Return the bottles to the boiling water bath and process them for 20 minutes. It may be necessary to do this in two batches; put as many in the canner as you are able to; when they come out add the next batch of jars to be sterilized while you fill the first set. Take them out and fill them as the first set of filled jars is being processed.
23. Remove, allow to cool, and check seals.

Reviews

[pjntammy]

I made this salsa last September when our tomatoes were so abundant we couldn't eat enough to keep up with them. I was excited about making a recipe for salsa with cilantro and lime, which I love, and that did not have sugar or vinegar, which I hate in salsa. When I cooked it up and put it into the jars, I took a taste and thought it might be an epic fail. It was salty and very lime-y. I fretted until I decided to name it, Salsa Margarita. I put it up in the garage. When we opened our first jar a few months later...oh. my. goodness...It was SO GOOD!! It just needed time to sit. This is the best canned salsa recipe I have ever tasted. Our family greedily ate every single jar I put up. I'm making double this year for sure!

 

[Margie Staggs]

Having grown up in Georgia and spent 17 years in West Texas, then back to Georgia, I have tasted so many recipes for salsa. This is by far the BEST recipe ever. To the lady who won't be making it again, she needs to immediately go for a taste IMPLANT. Thank you so much for this recipe. Making the second batch now.

 

[mmwilliams]

I have canned for years and made so many different types of salsa and hot sauce and it was good. This stuff is the best. we have to make more. authentic taste

 

[phyedroy]

This is a great recipe. Was looking for a non vinegar salsa and this came up along with one other from the foodchannel.com. This one is the winner. I halved the recipe and had a few sample each. It was close but in the end I chose this one. There was not much difference but enough. I was wondering if anyone has made this recipe with frozen tomatoes and was there a difference in taste?

 

[Janet L.]

I am sooooo glad I found this recipe. I don't care for vinegar in my salsa, and although I was skeptical about substituting lime juice for the vinegar, I read several articles from scholarly institutions that said it was completely safe as long as you use the correct amount of ingredients. So I made a test batch in late spring using store bought tomatoes, and let it sit for a week or two and I was soooo happy with the taste; it's fresh tasting which in my experience is rare for canned salsa. So today, I picked a lot of tomatoes from our garden and made it again. I did take the time to prep the tomatoes, but I cheated and put the jalapeno, onion, garlic, and cilantro in the food processor and pulsed it a few times. Now it's time to squeeze the limes and get ready to can the salsa, and it will be hard to wait until it's ready. I guarantee that it will be even better tasting using our own fresh tomatoes. Well done Jenny!!!